This is the second part of a series on Norway maple cultivars. Introduction
Norway maple is one of the most common trees in North America. It has an extended history on the continent, having been introduced as an ornamental plant to the United States in the early 20
th century. While Norway maple is classified in several states as invasive, numerous cultivars have been derived from it over the past few decades. The following examines some of the most notable Norway maple varieties, including ‘Deborah’, ‘Drummondii’, and ‘Emerald Lustre’. ‘Deborah’ is a medium to large sized cultivar, growing 50 to 60 feet tall, with a 30 to 50 foot spread. It is renown for its new leaves, which are colored red. Through spring and summer, the leaves turn a deep maroon, before finally transitioning to a dark green. Their fall color is yellow, orange, or bronze. The leaves are simple and lobed, with a star-like shape. They have a distinct wrinkled appearance, with undulating or crinked margins. Greenish-yellow flowers appear on the branches in spring. It has an ovate to rounded habit, with a dense canopy. Its root system is shallow, allowing it to compete with and dominate wild grasses and weeds. It can be used as a large bonsai specimen. It is drought tolerant, and resistant to pollution, making it an ideal street tree. Various birds and rodents use the seeds as a food source. ‘Drummondii’, also referred to as ‘Harlequin’, is a medium sized cultivar that grows 40 to 50 tall, with a 30 to 40 foot spread. It grows at a medium rate. It is one of the more colorful Norway maple varieties. Its leaves are variegated, with a vibrant light green center, and bold white edging. Appealing yellow corymbs form on the branches in spring. It has a rounded form, and establishes a dense crown. This variety requires consistent pruning to maintain its branch structure. It requires planting in sites exposed to full sunlight to thrive. ‘Drummondii’ has a shallow root system, which enables it to dominate weeds and wild grasses. Numerous birds and rodents feast on the seeds. This cultivar makes for an ideal bonsai specimen. It is resistant to salt, drought, and pollution, making it well suited for planting near roadsides. ‘Emerald Lustre’, also called ‘Pond’, is medium sized cultivar, growing heights of 40 to 60 feet, with a 40 to 50 foot spread. It grows at a medium rate. Under ideal conditions, it can live for over 100 years. It assumes a broadly ovate form, with a dense canopy. Greenish-yellow corymbs blanket the branches in spring. The foliage is tinged red when it first appears, before turning a glossy, deep green. The leaves turn bright yellow in fall. The leaves are simple, lobed, and star-shaped. They have wavy margins. ‘Emerald Lustre’ is tolerant of harsh environmental conditions, exhibiting resistance to salt, drought, and pollution. As such, it is an ideal selection for planting in cities, and along roadways. It requires full sun to flourish. Birds and rodents consume the seeds. This cultivar is an excellent specimen for bonsai
If you have any questions about Norway maple, or you are interested in one of our tree services, contact us at 978-468-6688, or Sales@IronTreeService.com. We are available 24/7, and can accommodate any schedule. All estimates are free of charge. We look forward to hearing from you.
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A human rights organization, ARTICLE 19, has expressed concern over an Iranian parliamentary motion to add two articles to the country's Penal Code for "insulting legally-recognized religions and Iranian ethnicities."
ARTICLE 19 warns that the draft motion passes, it will further erode citizens' rights to freedoms of expression and religion.
"Instead of bringing the Penal Code in line with international human rights law, Iranian lawmakers have taken steps to further cement and solidify discrimination against religious minorities and restrictions on freedom of speech in the country's legislative framework," said Saloua Ghazouani, the director of ARTICLE 19's Middle East and North Africa program.
According to Saloua Ghazouani, the director of ARTICLE 19's Middle East and North Africa program,"the draft [bill] is effectively a green light granted to Iran's law enforcement and prosecutorial and judicial authorities. t
Ghazouani speculated that the law will "solidify discrimination against religious minorities and restrictions on freedom of speech."
Iran's parliament initially passed the motion in May 2020, before the Guardian Council, reviewed it and sent it back to the parliament with some objections in June.
In November 2020, the parliament implemented several amendments to the draft bill to address the Council's objections.
ARTICLE 19 is concerned that it will disproportionately impact individuals belonging to ethnic, religious, and faith-based minorities.
"Persecuted religious and belief-based minority groups, such as Baha'is, Yaresan, Mandaeans, Dervishes, Christian converts, and atheists, are feared to face heightened levels of repression and persecution if the [parliamentary]Bill passes in its current form," the human rights organization claimed.
Article 1 of the draft motion, set to be added to Iran's Penal Code, imposes harsh punishments on "anyone who insults Iranian ethnicities with the intent to cause discord, violence, or tensions in the society or with the knowledge that such [consequences] will follow or, with the same intention or knowledge, directs explicit swears at divine religions recognized under the Islamic Republic's Constitution."
The motion suggests a sentence between two and five years in prison and/or a monetary fine when prohibited conduct leads to violence or tensions.
However, the draft motion merely refers to "religions" and "ethnicities" in general terms without specifying the groups concerned.
ARTICLE 19 claims that the motion will be used to further prosecute individuals for following and exercising other beliefs, such as followers of Erfan-e Halqeh, or Inter-Universalism. Generally described by the Iranian state as a "perverse sect," followers of such spiritual groups often face accusations of "psychological domination" and "indoctrination."
"These draconian proposals confirm yet again the Iranian authorities' utter disregard for their international human rights obligations. They must urgently withdraw the draft [parliamentary] Bill in its entirety and take immediate action to amend the existing legal framework to ensure that the rights to freedom of expression, religion, and belief are fully guaranteed in line with international law and standards," said Ghazouani.


In all of your searches and reviews of the literature so far, you’ve gathered evidence supporting the potential benefits of, and anticipated measurable outcomes related to, mitigating the negative effect of an organizational challenge.
Review your evidence table and the evidence you’ve collected. Then do the following:
Describe three measurable potential benefits or anticipated outcomes of your potential doctoral capstone project.
Develop a SMART objective for each measurable benefit or outcome. Describe the application of the objective in a potential doctoral project. Integrate evidence from the literature that you’ve collected to support both the measurable outcome and its application, in the context of improving the situation for the organization, in a specific setting, and the populations served. Provide APA-formatted citations and references.


A robust, competent, and dedicated prevention workforce contributes to successful prevention of substance misuse efforts in Ohio — impacting more communities, reaching a more diverse and inclusive audience, and creating the best substance use and misuse prevention outcomes. In alignment with Ohio’s Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Prevention priorities, the Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Prevention and Promotion (COE) aims to support Ohio’s prevention workforce by providing resources for experienced professionals, new professionals, and those considering a career in prevention.
Prevention professionals provide services across the lifespan to foster positive changes in mental and behavioral health. They use data to guide the development and implementation of collaborative partnerships and plans for universal, selected, and indicated policies, programs, and services around issues such as bullying, substance misuse, problem gambling, and suicide prevention, targeting both individual and community-based outcomes.
The COE is committed to leading and coordinating training, technical assistance, and mentoring across the state to support and strengthen the capacity and competence of prevention professionals as well as expanding the utilization of evidence-based prevention within all Ohio communities.


When it comes to hiring, companies want to make the best decisions for their business by finding the most qualified candidates who will succeed in the role and contribute to the company’s bottom line. However, unconscious bias can often creep into the hiring process, leading to subpar candidates being hired or qualified candidates being overlooked.
This unconscious bias can lead to hiring decisions based not on merit or qualifications but on factors such as race, gender or ethnicity. The result? A less diverse workforce and failure to reflect the company’s customer base.
Intelligent automation (IA) can help create a more equitable hiring process by reducing the reliance on human decision-making. By using algorithms to screen candidates, rate their qualifications, and select the most qualified candidates for interviews, IA allows companies to avoid the pitfalls of unconscious bias and create a more diverse and representative workforce.
What Are Intelligent Automation and Unconscious Bias?
IA combines advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, prescriptive analytics, robotic process automation, intelligent document processing and process and task mining to create digital workers, or bots, to support decision-making. Examples include data-driven processes using unstructured data, such as analyzing and classifying candidates’ resumes and CVs and making decisions or recommendations about who to interview.
Unconscious bias is how personal beliefs and prejudices influence hiring managers’ decision-making. These biases are often based on gender, race, ethnicity or age and can lead to an unfair hiring process. These unconscious biases make it harder for talented candidates to get a fair shot in the hiring process.
How Can IA Reduce Unconscious Bias In the Hiring Process?
There are several ways in which IA can reduce unconscious bias when hiring people:
Find a broader pool of candidates: Intelligent Automation can automate candidate sourcing by scraping databases to find ideal candidates for vacant positions. It can also handle the flood of applicants for any given job. The Harvard Business Review says every online job posting receives an average of 250 applicants. Recruiters can’t manually handle this many resumes themselves, so they tend to whittle it down to the 10-20%they canhandle, usually focusing on Ivy League degrees, employees of competitors and employee referrals. Through IA, digital workers can help avoid the issue of recruiters being unable to read every application. Create a more standardized process: Inconsistency in hiring can amplify unconscious bias. IA can help create a more standardized process by ensuring all candidates are treated the same and each step in the process is followed correctly since digital workers are always perfectly compliant with company policy. Examples include automated job postings, tracking applications through the hiring pipeline and running automatic background checks. Use data to drive decisions: IA can provide access to otherwise unavailable data. For instance, data sets too large for human workers to review. This data can be used to analyze previous hires, discern patterns and suggest corrections to the process. It can also help drive hiring decisions and ensure candidates are selected based on their qualifications, not a personal bias. Benefits of Reducing Unconscious Bias
Reducing the unconscious bias in the hiring process can benefit an organization in many ways, including:
Create a more diverse workforce: A more diverse workplace is not just good sense; it’s good business. Greater diversity enhances creativity, drives innovation and helps companies grow. For example, the Boston Consulting Group reported more diverse management teams led to 19%higher revenues than companies with less diverse leadership. Reduce turnover: Employees who feel they were hired relatively and without bias are more likely to be satisfied with their job and less likely to leave the company. By reducing unconscious bias in the hiring process, companies can reduce employee turnover and save on costs associated with recruiting and training new employees. Improve the bottom line: Workplace disputes often rooted in unconscious bias cost the U.S. economy approximately $359 billion annually. In addition, outright discrimination adds another $64 billion to the tab every year. Taken together, allowing unconscious bias into your hiring process proves costly.
More needs to be done to promote equity in your average hiring process. However, IA can be a powerful tool in reducing unconscious bias by allowing hiring managers to focus on the essential criteria for the role rather than allowing personal biases to influence their decision-making.
Authors Recruit Smarter
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Cultivating circular economies in the gaps of governance: lessons from Lebanon’s ecosystem of CE micro projects AffiliationSchool of Anthropology, The University of Arizona Issue Date2022-02-25
MetadataShow full item record PublisherInforma UK Limited CitationRosenbaum, R. A., & Kehdy, J. F. (2022). Cultivating circular economies in the gaps of governance: Lessons from Lebanon’s ecosystem of CE micro projects. Local Environment. JournalLocal Environment Rights© 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Collection InformationThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu. AbstractThis article explores micro circular economies (CEs) in Lebanon. The researchers asked, “What do CEs that center human health, equity, and well-being into their design look like in practice? What lessons can macro-CE projects and policy learn from such approaches?” Employing a political ecology framework, the authors assess the socio-political conditions through which these CEs emerged to understand the possibilities for mobilising CEs as solutions for conditions of systemic violence and inequality. Analysing common discourses and practices across disparate CE micro projects, this article theorises the main differences between such projects and institutionalised or corporate CEs. This study traces CEs which emerged during the garbage crisis of 2015 and coalesced during the thawra (the 2019–2020 uprisings in Lebanon). The authors analyse the challenges, opportunities, and lessons learned in navigating multifaceted CE projects within these challenging conditions. Through examining circular economy solutions “from below”, we argue that CE projects that are designed to respond to histories of power and inequality have greater potential to advance socio-ecological equality by creating innovative models for resource (re)use and distribution. Note12 month embargo; published online: 25 February 2022 ISSN1354-9839 EISSN1469-6711 VersionFinal accepted manuscript SponsorsBureau of Applied Research in Anthropology
ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1080/13549839.2022.2040466


This Note examines how Section 94-C is an improvement from earlier siting regimes in NYS, which emphasized a time intensive and comprehensive approval process primarily tailored to the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of fossil-fuel power projects. This Note explains how Section 94-C sought to bridge the historical disconnect between old siting statutes with NYS’s more recent priorities for renewable energy adoption and addressing climate change. This Note demonstrates how Section 94-C can bypass massive delays, provided that ORES establishes more reasonable and predictable substantive standards, as well as reduces the complexity and extent of procedural requirements for developers.
This is one of six program guides being produced by the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) as part of its Sustainable Solar Education Project. The project aims to provide information and educational resources to help states and municipalities ensure that distributed solar electricity remains consumer friendly and its benefits are accessible to low- and moderate-income households
Solar power offers Long Islanders a host of benefits — reductions in greenhouse gases and air pollution, healthier communities, affordable access to renewable energy, and good paying jobs. Solar can also play a significant role in helping address the climate crisis and meeting the goals of New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). This nation-leading 2019 law requires 70% of the state’s electricity to be generated from renewable resources by 2030 and 100% of electricity to be generated from carbon-free sources by 2040. Many people are familiar with residential rooftop solar systems, which range in size from 3 to 10 kilowatts (kW). Larger commercial and utility-scale solar systems, which can generate hundreds to thousands of kilowatts each, offer the opportunity to realize the benefits of solar power more quickly and cost-effectively in the region. This report shows how solar power can be scaled up without impacting the natural areas that are critical for wildlife, water-quality protection, and quality of life on Long Island. Low-impact sites like rooftops, parking lots, and other land already impacted by development, such as capped landfills and remediated brownfields, are excellent locations for the development of commercial- and utility-scale arrays. Building solar on low-impact sites minimizes impacts to natural ecosystems and habitat, reduces the potential for land-use conflicts and community opposition, decreases project cost and permitting times, and avoids the harmful release of carbon pollution that results from the conversion of natural areas for development. The Nature Conservancy and Defenders of Wildlife created the Long Island Solar Roadmap (the Roadmap) with the aim of advancing deployment of mid- to-large-scale solar power on Long Island in a way that minimizes environmental impacts, maximizes benefits to the region, and expands access to solar energy, including access to benefits by underserved communities. The Roadmap’s creation was supported by a diverse group of Long Island stakeholders. Individuals from state, local, and county government; the solar industry; the farm community; environmental and community organizations; the electric utility; businesses; and academic institutions provided input and guidance on design, research, and strategies. The Roadmap identifies low-impact sites for solar arrays on Long Island and shows their energy generation potential. Key findings also highlight Long Islanders’ opinions and preferences about solar development in their communities and provide information about the costs and benefits associated with bringing more solar online. It is our hope that the cohesive set of strategies and actions provided in this report will help lower barriers to low-impact solar development that meets the needs of all Long Island communities and benefits the whole region. Together, the key findings of the Roadmap point toward a promising future for Long Island as we transition to renewable energy. Taking full advantage of Long Island’s solar potential will require the commitment and collective action of a diverse group of stakeholders, including local and state government, Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), PSEG Long Island, the solar industry, commercial and industrial property owners, farmers and farmland owners, nonprofits, and community organizations.
This playbook is an introductory guide for local governments to facilitate large-scale solar projects in Southwest Virginia. In a region that has a long history of energy production, solar technologies offer enormous potential for economic development and job growth. Large-scale solar can take many forms, including rooftop or ground-mounted installations at local corporate offices, nonprofit organizations, or schools. It can also encompass utility-scale projects over many acres on former agricultural or timberlands, mined lands, or industrial sites. Regardless of the type of project, solar is a widely popular, cost-competitive energy choice that helps create sustainable and prosperous communities. This playbook is directed to municipal and county governments that have an essential role to play in encouraging large-scale solar projects. The first section provides an overview of state and national trends, including recent state legislation that will impact local oversight of solar development. This is followed by an overview of the solar project approval process from a developer’s perspective. The next section is an overview of the state and local permitting process for solar projects, followed by other development considerations such as local tax revenue options, financing incentives, and considerations for solar on brownfields and previously mined lands. The playbook concludes with a step-by-step guide for local governments to facilitate large-scale solar development. This playbook is part of the Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia’s effort to bring solar energy and associated jobs to the region. Over the past few years, the workgroup has met with stakeholder groups and crafted a strategy for local solar energy development. The workgroup has collaborated with cities and counties to bring SolSmart designation to eight counties and cities, implemented group purchase campaigns for commercial solar, and led research efforts.
Solar siting is advancing rapidly in New York to meet the state’s climate goals of 70% renewable energy by 2030 and 100% clean energy by 2040, and much of that development is targeted towards farmland. However, with the right policies, incentives and research, solar development can avoid or minimize the most serious negative impacts on the availability and viability of New York’s best farmland and the strength of its agricultural economy and food security. Implementing the smart solar siting strategies recommended in this report can help farmers and agricultural communities capitalize on the benefits of solar development, explore new markets, participate in cutting-edge research partnerships, and continue growing the food we need now and in the future, all while combatting climate change.
While solar facilities are a viable source of clean energy with many economic opportunities available to developers, landowners, and local communities, their recent deployment has led to a growing recognition of potential land use conflicts. The declining technology costs, tax breaks, financial incentives, and affordability of rural lands have been the main drivers of the recent development of solar facilities across Virginia. However, as these facilities grow larger and more prevalent, they will become an increasingly important component of local land use patterns in many parts of rural Virginia. Accordingly, proper land use planning serves a critical role in ensuring that Virginia successfully meets future clean energy goals while also promoting sustainable and efficient land use practices. Analyzing the ongoing land use impacts of utility-scale solar development, establishing a process for tracking future land use patterns, and providing guidance to consider the best land use practices is the primary purpose of this plan. The goal of this plan is not to undermine the opportunity and potential of solar energy. Instead, this plan seeks to inform solar energy development policies through a land use planning perspective to promote the sustainable development of solar facilities. The recommendations of this plan are intended for the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy and are informed by the results of this research. However, the findings and recommendations for this plan are also informative and useful for a variety of stakeholders. The sustainable development of solar energy facilities in Virginia will ultimately be a collaborative process and the following recommendations are intended to complement the ongoing work of numerous stakeholders across the state.
This toolkit is intended for state and municipal lawmakers, farmers, and researchers hoping to improve or better understand their community’s farmland solar policies. It identifies key areas of state law affecting how much and what kind of solar development occurs on farmland, as well as farmers’ access to clean energy.


Solar Farms: Biodiversity, Birds and the Bees
Climate change and biodiversity degradation are two of the most complex and interwoven challenges that we face in today’s world. The global decline of biodiversity is contributing to the acceleration of climate change, as we are seeing rapid loss in natural carbon sinks. Today is Biodiversity Day at COP27, which will focus on bridging the gap between climate and biodiversity through bold leadership, creating synergies, and sharing best strategies for action.
Alongside supporting the decarbonisation of the world’s energy landscape, Lightsource bp are taking action to boost biodiversity by protecting, enhancing, and stewarding lands at our solar farms. As ground-mounted solar is typically in place for over 20 years and less than 2% of land being disrupted by infrastructure, they are areas that provide a huge opportunity for local ecosystems to thrive, enhance habitat creation, and improve soil regeneration.
Lightsource bp aims to deliver a biodiversity net gain (BNG) on our operating assets, measured 5+ years post-construction. To support this initiative we will develop a biodiversity management plan for Lightsource bp developed projects. A BMP outlines measures to mitigate biodiversity impacts, ways to enhance beneficial habitats, as well as agricultural multi use such as sheep grazing and bee keeping (“agrivoltaics”), and sets out an ongoing monitoring and reporting regime.
As a business, we’re committed to delivering responsible solar via our sustainability report, and supporting biodiversity across all our projects is a fundamental part of this, underpinned by our biodiversity policy.
We are proud of all of the work we are doing around biodiversity, and the statistics below reflect the on-going commitment we hold going beyond business as usual:


The Multidimensional Poverty Assessment Tool (MPAT) provides RFS project teams with a more holistic understanding of human well-being within project communities, informing project design, implementing and tracking of progress.
The RFS programme relies on a diverse network of partners to implement all 12 country projects. Each partner offers a wide range of expertise, approaches, and tools to assist each country project in implementing activities and achieving target impacts on environmental resilience and food security. One such tool for measuring progress at the household level is the Multidimensional Poverty Assessment Tool (MPAT), which was developed by an international initiative led by RFS Implementing Agency, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The purpose of the MPAT is to provide a clearer understanding of rural poverty at the household level and to develop a strong evidence base for decision-making at all levels of governance. The MPAT consists of 143 questions that cover a range of focus areas, including gender, social equality, education, housing, sanitation, health, and farm and non-farm assets. After data is collected from households within the project sites, the MPAT produces summary scores for each focus area, ranging from low to high, that are comparable across communities, projects, and countries.
In Kenya, the RFS country project team carried out a socioeconomic baseline household survey using MPAT in over 1,000 households, with approximately 30 additional questions on soil and water conservation practices. Key findings of the survey include:
The RFS eSwatini project also conducted a baseline survey in over 980 households. Key findings of their survey include:
The implementation of these surveys in both country projects have since been used to inform project design, implementation and serve as a comparable data source for future monitoring. The MPAT data provides RFS project teams with a greater understanding of household perceptions and needs in project sites, allowing them to design project activities to address those needs and improve community well-being. The MPAT data also allows the RFS Kenya and eSwatini projects to more accurately track progress against all 11 MPAT focus areas throughout the project lifecycle and adapt activities as the project progresses.
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Course Overview
Successful innovation depends on the selection and performance of key materials. From cars, aeroplanes and cruise ships, to sports equipment and musical instruments, the right materials can help to define technological progress.
Materials Science and Engineering explores how the properties of matter can be controlled. It includes elements of physics and chemistry, connecting closely with most other areas of engineering.
This degree will prepare you for a rewarding career across engineering sectors including aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, sports, and energy generation.
Develop your analytical abilities whilst gaining hands-on experience of advanced equipment, establishing skills which are vital to securing employment in industry.


Windshield damages are some of the most common yet least talked about damages sustained by a car. The windshield is an important component of your car and protects you from multiple things like gravel, debris, or rocks.
If you damage your windshield, the cost to replace or repair it might be covered by your auto insurance. But which types of damages do they cover? Let’s find out.
Types of Windshield Damage Covered by Insurance Claims
Windshield damage is covered by comprehensive or collision insurance, which are the optional types of a car insurance policy.
Comprehensive coverage will cover damage caused by incidents usually termed as “acts of God.”
These incidents include:
A part of a tree fell over and cracked the windshield. A pebble or rock smashes against the windshield. Vandalism An animal damaging your windshield. A ball or bat shattering the windshield.
In situations where the windscreen is damaged by an accident caused by you, the repair or replacement would be covered under the
collision insurance. I don’t have comprehensive coverage; what should I do?
Generally, you can’t file a claim against windshield damages if you don’t have comprehensive coverage. However, there are two exceptions:
You can file a claim against another driver’s property damage insurance if they collided and damaged your car. Or, when someone else breaks your car’s windshield, you can submit a claim against their renters or homeowners’ insurance.
It is advisable that you acquire both comprehensive and collision coverage; even though it would increase your annual premiums, the cost you might have to pay for repairs would be more than the total insurance premiums you’d pay over five years.
Here at
True Blue Auto Glass, we not only provide you with excellent windshield repair and replacements services, but we make the insurance part of the procedure go smoothly too. Insurance companies in Pennsylvania trust us and enjoy an excellent working relationship with us, and so do our clients.


Just take these two experimental injections and life can go back to normal they said…
Dr. Fauci says he would be “not at all be surprised” if three vaccine doses becomes the “adequate, full regimen” for protection from COVID-19 pic.twitter.com/PsQKb0gzkn
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 2, 2021
There’s a reason everyone’s covid cards had four slots in them from the very beginning.
From RT, “Americans will ‘likely’ need 3rd Covid shot to qualify as ‘fully vaccinated,’ Fauci says as booster battle rages at FDA”:
What it means to be “fully vaccinated” is set to change, Covid adviser Anthony Fauci said, suggesting the standard regimen will soon include three doses, amid reports that FDA staff voiced concerns over a rushed booster roll-out.
While Fauci noted that the decision will ultimately be left up to federal health agencies, he told reporters at a Thursday press briefing that he believes an additional dose will “likely” be needed for Americans to be considered “fully vaccinated” in the near future, citing recent data out of Israel.
“From my own experience as an immunologist, I would not at all be surprised if the adequate, full regimen for vaccination will likely be three doses,” he said, adding that the booster data from Israel showed a “very clear” and “dramatic” improvement in protection.
Israel has seen a significant decline in vaccine effectiveness over time, reporting a major spike in serious illness among the fully-vaccinated (under the previous two-dose definition) beginning in July. However, Fauci pointed to a study based on data from about 1 million Israelis aged 60 and older that suggested a third dose of the Pfizer jab had “substantial positive impact,” resulting in a ten-fold reduction in severe illness.


Immunity Partial immunosuppression or reduced immune response, Increased predisposition for viral, fungal, and bacterial illness, Increased rhinovirus infections, Increased risk of disease transmission, Immune-mediated inflammatory disorders, more commonly known as auto-immune diseases, which include rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome, along with many others. Cancer Promotes the growth, invasion, and spread of cancer, Poorer survival […]List of How Wearing Masks Can Affect Immunity and Cancer — Clever Journeys


The United States has entered its fourth decade of high imprisonment levels. It is now possible to assess the impact of parental imprisonment on children who have completed the transition to adulthood. We elaborate the role of parental incarceration from a life course perspective on intergenerational social exclusion in young adulthood. The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health [Add Health] representatively sampled the historically unique national cohort born in the 1980s, during the onset of mass incarceration. Four waves of the Add Health survey provide a valuable moving window on incarcerated parents and the transitions of their children from adolescence, through school, to young adulthood. We focus on four young adult outcomes as indicators of social exclusion: personal income, household income, perceived socioeconomic status, and feelings of powerlessness. Our findings indicate that both maternal and paternal incarceration significantly contribute to young adult social exclusion among offspring in their late twenties to early thirties. Successful completion of college is a mediator of the exclusionary effects of maternal and paternal incarceration, reducing parental imprisonment effects 14% – 50% (net of college completion of the mothers and fathers and a comprehensive set of further controls). This mediating college effect is consistent with other growing evidence of the salience of the college/non-college divide as an exclusionary barrier in American society. The implication is that prisons and schools are now strongly linked institutions in the intergenerational reproduction of American socioeconomic inequality.


Increasingly, it is the ability to continuously deliver reliable software that meets both immediate market demand and internal business needs. Rather than software being delivered in substantially-sized quarterly or even annual updates, it is more often delivered in never-ending, bite-sized feature updates. This is happening with all software now, from apps on our phones to large enterprise applications.


Abstract
Background: There is rising utilization of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) for a growing number of metastatic malignancies. While gastrointestinal side effects of ICI are common, isolated ICI-induced enteritis leading to small bowel hemorrhage is rare. Case presentation: A 71-year-old man with a previously resected right colon adenocarcinoma on atezolizumab and recently treated Clostridioides difficile presented with acute on chronic abdominal pain and non-bloody diarrhea. A CT scan revealed enteritis of the duodenum and jejunum without colitis. Initial endoscopic work-up revealed many clean-based non-bleeding duodenal ulcers to the third portion of the duodenum and normal rectosigmoid mucosa. The patient initially improved on steroids but was readmitted on day after discharge with hematochezia and hemorrhagic shock. Repeat CT showed improvement in enteritis; however, repeat push enteroscopy revealed multiple duodenal and jejunal ulcers, two with visible vessels requiring endoscopic intervention. He continued to have significant hemorrhage requiring transfusions despite IV methylprednisolone. Conventional angiogram revealed multiple sites of active extravasation, and he underwent small bowel resection and subsequent IR embolization due to persistent bleeding. He was then started on infliximab 10 mg/kg with resolution of his small bowel hemorrhage and diarrhea. Conclusions: Severe isolated ICI-enteritis is rare and can lead to clinically significant gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Patients with severe ICI-enteritis on endoscopy should be carefully monitored for steroid refractory disease for consideration of step-up therapy such as infliximab.
Keywords Case report Gastrointestinal hemorrhage Immune checkpoint enteritis Infliximab Methylprednisolone ASJC Scopus subject areas Gastroenterology


Attention Bias Modification Imaging common.study.values.description
“Neuroplasticity in an Extended Amygdala Network as a Target Mechanism for Attention Bias Modification Outcome”
Anxiety disorders are one of the most common psychological disorders. Underlying anxiety is an increased attentional bias to threat, which has been identified as a causal contributor in the development of anxiety. Given this causal relationship, attention bias modification was introduced as a treatment option where anxiety is reduced by training individuals to direct their attention away from threat and thereby decreasing anxiety. Over a decade of research using this approach, called attention bias modification (ABM), suggests that overall the approach is effective in reducing anxiety. Although ABM appears to be a very promising treatment option for anxiety, there are several factors limiting the effectiveness of ABM. These include the recognition of individual-level needs and a known underlying mechanism of action by which ABM is effective. Neuroimaging evidence suggests that attentional bias to visual threat is associated with a network of brain regions including the amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex, and visual cortex. In human participants, experience-dependent neuroplasticity is visible in voxel-based morphometry based measures of gray matter volume following training. Recently, voxel-based morphometry measures of gray matter volume have been linked to dendritic spine densitya?"a known cellular mechanism for learning-related neuroplasticity. Thus, voxel-based morphometry measures are ideally suited to measure learning-related neuroplasticity following attention bias modification. In this proposal participants' level of attentional bias, anxiety, and gray matter volume will be measured before and after completing six weeks of attention bias modification training (N = 50) or attention control training (N= 50). The proposal aims to (1) establish that pre-treatment bias predicts variability in gray matter volume in the extended amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex, (2) assess the extent to which reduced extended amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex gray matter volume following ABM underlies reductions in attentional bias and anxiety, and (3) Establish pre-treatment bias as a predictor of successful ABM as measured by reduced bias, reduced anxiety, and reduced gray matter volume in the extended amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex. Consistent with the objectives of the AREA grant and NIMH's focus on identifying and validating new targets for treatment development that underlie disease mechanisms, the current proposal plans to involve students at a rural primarily undergraduate university in a research project aimed at establishing neuroplasticity in the extended amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex as a target mechanism for ABM training outcome, which could be used to objectively track training-related outcomes in anxiety treatment.
common.study.values.location participant.ui.study.affiliations-map.online-study.header-virtual
participant.ui.study.affiliations-map.online-study.text
common.study.values.methods Behavioral - Attention Bias Modification
Attention bias modification (ABM) sessions will consist of a modified dot-probe task that only contains incongruent trials (i.e., target-dot - neutral stimulus 100% pairing).
Behavioral - Attention Control
Attention control (AC) sessions, will consist of a standard dot-probe task (i.e., target-dot - neutral/threat stimulus 50% pairing). Thus, for AC participants, bias should remain the same, while ABM participants should show a reduced bias to threat.
participant.views.study.view.additional participant.views.study.view.scientific-title
Neuroplasticity in an Extended Amygdala Network as a Target Mechanism for Attention Bias Modification Outcome
common.study.values.clinical-trial-id
NCT03092609
participant.views.study.view.id
YaO0Lb


Abstract
Background: Essential tremor (ET) is characterized by action tremor, although rest tremor may also occur. Despite this, rest tremor has not been studied extensively. A dearth of studies compare the relationship of rest tremor to other types of tremors in ET. Methods: Two-hundred-and-thirteen ET cases underwent detailed neurological examination, including evaluations of rest, simple kinetic, postural, and intention tremors. A movement disorders neurologist assessed the prevalence of each type of tremor. Each instance of tremor was classified as either symmetrical (present and equally severe on both sides of the body) or asymmetrical (only present on or more severe on one side of the body). Asymmetrical rest tremor that co-occurred with other types of asymmetrical tremors in a given case was further classified as either concordant (i.e., asymmetry on the same side of the body) or discordant (i.e., asymmetry on opposite sides of the body). Chi-square analyses examined the prevalence of concordant versus discordant pairings. Results: Sixty-two cases (29.2%) had rest tremor while seated. Fifteen (7.4%) had rest tremor while standing. Among asymmetric tremor pairings, concordant pairings occurred 2–2.7 times more frequently than discordant pairings – for pairings involving rest tremor while seated, 73.2% were concordant and 26.8% discordant (p < 0.001); for pairings involving rest tremor while standing, 66.7% were concordant and 33.3% were discordant (p = 0.25). Conclusions: Rest tremor often lateralized with other tremor types. These data add to our knowledge of the phenotypic manifestations of ET.
Keywords Clinical Essential tremor Intention tremor Kinetic tremor Postural tremor Rest tremor ASJC Scopus subject areas Neurology Geriatrics and Gerontology Clinical Neurology


How the federal government can address violence and harm through a public health approach
All people deserve safety in their homes, workplaces, parks, and other community spaces—safety not only from violence, but from the economic, social, and environmental conditions that fuel violence in the first place. Within the United States, however, access to physical safety—just like access to clean air, economic mobility, and high-quality schools—is shaped by where someone lives, with many of our most unsafe places reflecting decades of systemic disinvestment.
To keep individuals, families, and communities truly safe from violence and harm,1 policymakers must tackle the “social determinants of safety” that contribute to neighborhood violence...


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An 80-year-old Caucasian female with a remote history of nonarteritic ischemic optic neuropathy of the left eye presented with transient vision loss in the right eye, occurring once or twice per week, for the month before presentation. The onset of each episode was abrupt, rather than gradual, and described as “things fading in the right eye,” and “objects looking duller than usual” over the entire visual field. She had no positive visual phenomena with these episodes, which often lasted approximately 1–5 minutes. Each episode was neurologically isolated, without headache or focal neurologic symptoms. After each episode, the vision slowly returned to her previous baseline. She identified no precipitating factors related to her symptoms.
She had a negative review of systems, including fevers, chills, weight loss, fatigue, headache, jaw claudication, scalp tenderness, weakness, numbness, vertigo, diplopia, oscillopsia, slurred speech, facial droop, chest pain, palpitations, dyspnea, cough, or hemoptysis.
Examination at presentation was notable for a visual acuity of 20/40 OD and count fingers OS, as well as a left afferent pupillary defect, which was unchanged from baseline with her left ischemic optic neuropathy. Intraocular pressures were 14 mm Hg OU. Slit-lamp and fundus examination of the right eye showed no anterior segment disease, vessel occlusion, Hollenhorst plaques, or other retinal or vascular abnormalities. Her temporal artery pulses were strong bilaterally and she had no scalp tenderness. She had no other focal neurologic defects and the rest of her physical examination was unremarkable.
She was hospitalized for urgent evaluation of transient monocular vision loss. Laboratory work-up was notable for a troponin elevation, as well as mild anemia, thrombocytopenia, and hyponatremia. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein were unremarkable. Head computed tomography (CT) was negative for intracranial hemorrhage. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was obtained and revealed multiple punctate cortical and juxtacortical areas of diffusion restriction, involving all vascular territories (Figure 1).
Carotid Dopplers showed smooth plaques in the internal carotid arteries causing less than 50% stenosis, but were otherwise unremarkable.
Given the involvement of multiple vascular distributions, a trans-thoracic echocardiogram was performed, which was negative for valvular abnormalities or right-to-left shunt. A trans-esophageal echocardiogram was then performed, which showed characteristic mobile echodensities on both leaflets of the mitral valves, including a 6 × 5 mm lesion on the posterior leaflet and 4 × 1 mm lesion on the anterior leaflet, without significant regurgitation or valve destruction (Figure 2). Blood cultures were obtained and negative for bacterial or fungal growth.
A CT of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis was performed that showed spiculated lesions in the lingula and right upper lobe of the lung, as well as mediastinal lymphadenopathy.
Positron emission tomography–CT showed increased uptake in the spine, pelvis, sternum, and thoracic wall, consistent with metastatic osseous disease. An ultrasound-guided biopsy of a paratracheal lymph node was performed. Pathology revealed malignant cells, strongly positive for thyroid transcription factor (TTF-1) and NapsinA, consistent with metastatic pulmonary adenocarcinoma.
Discussion
“Transient monocular vision loss” (TMVL) is a broad term used to describe sudden, nonpermanent vision loss in one eye. The etiology of TMVL comprises a wide range of ophthalmic, neurologic, and systemic disease. Commonly, “amaurosis fugax” is the term used when TMVL is secondary to vascular insufficiency or ischemia.
Identifying the cause is of critical importance in the correct diagnosis and subsequent management of the underlying condition.
In this case, we believe that the patient's symptoms were attributable to an embolic source, from nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) associated with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. Anterior segment and dilated fundus examination findings were normal, not supporting retinal or other ocular pathologies, including intermittent angle closure glaucoma or ocular surface disease. Carotid Dopplers were negative for clinically significant stenosis or plaque rupture. There were no cardinal symptoms of giant cell arteritis, and inflammatory markers were within normal limits. She also had no history of migraine, and the characteristics of the episodes, including the frequency and duration, would be unusual for retinal migraine or migraine aura with headache. Indeed, many cases of the so-called retinal migraine are vascular in origin.
NBTE is a rare condition that refers to noninfectious vegetations of cardiac valves, most commonly associated with advanced malignancy or autoimmune disease. Rates in autopsy series range from 0.6% to 1.6%.
In particular, diffusion-weighted MRI can guide work-up, because ischemic strokes in multiple distributions suggest a cardioembolic source. Carotid sources of TMVL are more common than cardiac emboli, but consideration of a cardiac source is important when clinical suspicion is high. TEE is more sensitive in identifying small lesions and can be pursued when TTE is negative, as in this case. In our case, the discovery of NBTE led to the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma. In cases where there are no obvious traditional causes of amaurosis, NBTE should be considered, even in the absence of a history of malignancy or hypercoagulability.


GlaxoSmithKline plc (“GSK”) has received negative attention on its approach to executive remuneration, mainly due to the alignment of executive pay to that of GSK’s global peers, most of which are large US pharmaceutical companies that are used to setting high pay levels.
The company reached out to its shareholders as it was preparing to renew its policy.
Our manager met the company and provided detailed feedback to the remuneration committee. It encouraged pension contributions for serving executives to be reduced to a maximum of 15% of salary, which is more closely aligned to the contribution level of the wider workforce. Following the consultation process, the company announced that the pension contribution level had been reconsidered. By 2023, it will be brought down to 7% of salary; the same as the company offers to its employees generally.


Cows are one of the first mobs you’ll turn to when you start a farm in Minecraft. They provide a source of meat you can cook, and are a pivotal addition to your survival adventure. Besides a source of nutrition, cows are loyal companions and just a bundle of joy to behold, especially in groups. Though they technically do not require sustenance to survive, food is an integral part of their life and plays a key part in multiplying their numbers. We are, of course, talking about breeding cows to form a herd. For that to happen, you must know the answer to, “What do cows eat in Minecraft?”
Food cows eat in Minecraft
Cows are neutral mobs that won’t attack you even if attacked first. However, they respond to food instantly and en masse. Cows in Minecraft eat these food items:
1. Grass
Cows consume grass that grows on top of Dirt blocks in Minecraft. This is something players cannot intervene or control—grass grows at a predetermined pace, and players cannot feed it to cows. Cows may also eat the foliage atop a Grass Dirt block, which makes this feeding habit hard to spot. However, as soon as players create a pen around a herd of cows, this activity becomes apparent from the appearance of barren dirt beneath their hooves.
2. Wheat
Cows can eat Wheat provided by the player, and player alone. They can neither consume planted Wheat nor the Wheat item that drops on the ground. This is intentional, to prevent players from using a Dispenser to create a fully automatic Wheat feeder. The commands to feed Wheat to a cow, after making sure it’s in the crosshair, are as follows:
On PC and Mac(Java/Bedrock/Educational Edition), use the right-click of your mouse. For Nintendo Switch, press the ZL controller button. For Pocket Edition, tap the cow on the screen. On Wii U, press the ZL button on the gamepad. For Xboxconsoles, use the LT button on your controller. On PlayStationconsoles, press the L2 button on the controller. Facts about feeding cows in Minecraft
Now that you know what cows consume in Minecraft, it’s time to elaborate on when, why, how often, and more. Here are several interesting details about feeding Minecraft cows you should know:
Whenever the player holds Wheat in their hands, cows in the vicinity (up to 6 blocks away) will take a sharp turn and stare while rushing toward the player. Cows will continue staring as long as the player has Wheat equipped and only stop when fed. Feeding wheat is a key mechanic for breeding cows. We’ll elaborate on that separately. However, it’s important to note there’s a 5-minute cooldown before the same cow can consume Wheat again. You can feed a baby cow Wheat to speed up its growth, which is set at 20 minutes without intervention. Every time it consumes food, the time to reach maturity is reduced by 10%. Minecraft cows cannot die of starvation if you don’t feed them. Before you start amassing cows in one spot, you should know there’s a limit to the number of mobs in a given area within a Minecraft world. If you noticed you cannot feed a cow, and it’s been over 5 minutes, you reached that threshold. Contrary to what you may believe, cows don’t require grass from a Dirt block in Minecraft to produce milk.


Related Faculty
S. David Young
Professor of Accounting and Control
Book
Profits You Can Trust. Spotting & Surviving Accounting LandminesFT Prentice Hall.
Profits You Can Trust gives managers, directors, lenders, audit partners and analysts a clear framework to demystify global financial reporting in a market fraught with danger. Filled with provocative and enlightening examples, it offers a fresh perspective and clear guidance for everyone involved with financial reporting strategy and communication, as well as specific and easily understood questions that must be asked to avoid accounting landmines that can destroy even the most successful business. The authors begin with an overview of the challenges of financial literacy for business decision-makers operating in both US and global environments, the reasons decision-makers tacitly "conspire" to inflate stated revenues and reduce stated costs, and how "small" lies inevitably lead to bigger ones. Next, using easy-to-understand examples, they discuss six key accounting minefields in detail. These include revenue recognition; provision for uncertain future costs; asset values; risk management and the use of derivatives; related party transactions; and performance benchmarking. Finally, they turn to the key questions and lessons arising from recent financial scandals, including accounting firm conflict of interest; why Generally Accepted Accounting Practices aren't always sufficient; assessing mergers, acquisitions, and restructuring reserves; and the appropriate role of non-financial measurements such as balanced scorecards.


We are here to support you. Our support groups provide a safe, non-judgmental and confidential environment for survivors to share experiences. Support groups are facilitated by trained advocates who offer emotional support, resources and tools for empowerment.
Any form of violence involves living in a climate of fear, isolation, loss, humiliation, and despair. It is not always clear how best to respond when you see the warning signs of abuse. Enduring violence is an experience that no one should have to go through and Manavi is committed to supporting survivors on their journey to heal and be empowered. Overall, support groups promote the safety, privacy and autonomy of all survivors.


The social implications of mine or plant closure have not traditionally be considered to the same extent as the environmental impacts, such as acid mine drainage or forest reclamation.
Be everywhere in mining
Dig even deeper with a premium subscription for access to annual reports from the Mining Journal Intelligence department.


Tooth-Colored Fillings
Tooth-Colored or Composite Fillings
In the past, dental cavities were filled with a mixture of metal alloys, also known as amalgam. Today, tooth-colored or composite fillings are a mixture of resin, glass or quartz and porcelain ceramics. These materials are resilient and long-lasting. These filings are colored to match the patient’s teeth and are practically invisible to the untrained eye. For aesthetic and/or medical purposes, these tooth-colored fillings can be used to replace old and worn dental amalgam, gold or other metal fillings.
While composite fillings have visual advantages, over time they can become discolored. Just like metal fillings, tooth-colored fillings can be set and cured in one visit to the dentist.
What Are Tooth-Colored Fillings?
Many patients today are interested in dental restorations that do not disrupt the natural appearance of their smile. Whether a filling is needed toward the front of the mouth or at the back, a metal restoration looks unnatural. Tooth-colored fillings have become a popular option for patients of all ages. These fillings restore structure to damaged teeth and also preserve the appearance of the smile.
Tooth-colored fillings are free of metal and mercury. They are made from particles of silicon dioxide, plastics, quartz, and glass. Each restoration is color-matched as closely as possible to the natural shade of enamel, making them disappear in the mouth. To place a composite filling, the dentist needs to remove only a minimal amount of enamel; just what has been damaged by decay. The filling is bonded to the tooth, which pulls the outer edges of the tooth inward for restored strength.
Am I a Candidate for Tooth-Colored Fillings?
Most people are excellent candidates for tooth-colored fillings. Many patients consider replacing old amalgam fillings with composite or ceramic porcelain restorations. However, the general consensus regarding this practice is “don’t fix what isn’t broken.” If an amalgam filling has strong margins and structural integrity, there is minimal reason to remove it in favor of a tooth-colored filling. A dental examination is conducted to determine the extent of damage a tooth has sustained. More severe damage may require an inlay or dental crown, while moderate decay may be fully reparable using a more conservative filling restoration.
Are there Different Types of Tooth-Colored Fillings?
Tooth-colored fillings, inlays, and onlays are commonly fabricated from composite resin, which is a mixture of powdered glass and silica materials. Alternatively, a tooth-colored filling may be made from dental porcelain. The two are similar in appearance and resilience. Composite fillings can be placed in a single visit and achieve very good results. Porcelain fillings may last slightly longer than the average composite filling, but costs more and may require more than one visit.
Are There Any Disadvantages to Tooth-Colored Fillings?
There are certainly more advantages to tooth-colored fillings than disadvantages. Patients appreciate the natural aesthetic we can achieve with composite dental materials and the way that a tooth-colored filling feels in the mouth. Additionally, patients often choose tooth-colored fillings because they wish to avoid the potential risks associated with amalgam restorations. Conversely, tooth-colored fillings do come at a slightly higher cost than metal fillings. The average lifespan of a composite filling is 7 to 10 years. While it is possible for a composite filling to become stained over time, the materials used for these restorations do not whiten. Therefore, depending on the location of the filling, a patient may wish to undergo cosmetic teeth whitening before the final restoration is placed.
Patient Review
I love everyone I hav ever seen at this office… Dr. Keri, LaVonne, Janet, Nancy… They are all part of the most professional and friendly dental team I have ever worked with. I would never go anywhere else! – K. M.
Are Tooth-Colored Fillings Safe?
Tooth-colored fillings are made from materials that mimic the structure and behavior of natural enamel. They are safe, durable, and long-lasting because the material is bonded to the tooth, creating strong margins that keep bacteria from penetrating deeper layers of enamel. Tooth-colored also respond to temperature changes in the same way enamel does, whereas metal fillings contract and expand more severely than enamel. This characteristic is associated with both durability and long-term integrity that significantly minimizes the risk of fractures in the tooth or filling.
Will Insurance Cover Tooth-Colored Fillings?
Dental insurance typically provides some degree of coverage for restorative care such as dental filling placement or replacement. This includes tooth-colored fillings. Patients should contact their insurance company for detailed information regarding coverage based on their plan.


The government maintained efforts to protect victims. Authorities identified 17 potential victims in 2017—14 foreign nationals and three Belizeans; six adult females, two adult males, and nine minor females—compared to 12 potential victims in 2016. Although the government reported law enforcement, immigration officials, and social service providers used formal written procedures to identify victims, officials did not consistently follow these procedures in practice. Belize’s anti-trafficking law exempted victims from punishment for crimes committed as a result of being subjected to trafficking; however, victims identified in raids of commercial sex establishments were arrested, jailed, or deported for immigration violations or otherwise penalized for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being subjected to trafficking. Social service providers were not routinely present to screen, identify, and assist victims during law enforcement operations and raids on commercial sex establishments. The government said it screened 156 individuals for trafficking indicators during immigration operations with social workers ready to assist potential victims. Victims’ fear of detention or deportation may have contributed to their reluctance to report trafficking to law enforcement officers. The government provided training to immigration officials, law enforcement, and social workers on victim identification and referral.
The government reported the Department of Human Services coordinated and funded shelter, medical, and psychological services to adult victims and potential victims during pending criminal proceedings generally provided by private parties, while children were placed in foster homes. Experts noted deficiencies in the foster care system, to include a lack of education about human trafficking for some foster parents, uneven coordination and communication between government agencies and foster parents, and limited availability of psycho-social care for victims. However, the government said the support offered by foster families led to a successful conviction in 2016 and empowered victims. The government provided 200,000 Belizean dollars ($100,000) to the Ministry of Human Development for the human trafficking response, which included funding for victim services, public awareness-raising, and the national anti-trafficking council. The government encouraged victims to assist in investigations by providing witness protection, confidentiality, and coordinating lodging and services. Court delays and fear of retaliation by traffickers may have led foreign national victims to decline or withdraw cooperation with law enforcement and return to their home countries. While the government had a policy to grant temporary residency status to foreign national victims willing to cooperate in investigations or prosecutions, it did not provide any victims this benefit in 2017, and anecdotal evidence suggested victims were often deported. Victims could apply for work permits free of cost, but the government did not grant any such permits in 2017.


Q3 Earnings
Revenue $1.412B YoY Change 10.3%▲ Net Income $159.1M
Waste Connections reported quarterly volumes at their highest levels in more than two years, E&P revenue coming in better than expected and ongoing growth through acquisition. Total pricing came in at 5.2% (slightly above projections) and landfill volumes were up by 5% due in part to an outsized quarter for special waste.
Still growing Waste Connections CEO Worthing Jackman reported, during the company's Q3 earnings call, that offers worth more than $600 million in outlays have been extended since late July. "In fact, we could potentially double our already completed $160 million in annualized acquired revenue by year-end or early next year, starting 2020 off with above-average contributions from acquisitions along with the continuing robust pipeline for further activity," he said. Per its quarterly filing, Waste Connections spent nearly $39 million in cash on three new acquisitions during Q3. At least one acquisition appears to be in Massachusetts, a market previously exited through divestment in 2017, bringing the company's presence to 42 U.S. states and six Canadian provinces. Jackman reported one deal was for a greenfield solid waste landfill project "in a legacy Progressive Waste collection-only market where we currently utilize a third-party disposal site." Construction is expected to start next year, with operations beginning by early 2021.
Waste Connections has now spent nearly $471 million (including more than $50 million in debt) to acquire 13 companies through Q3 of this year. Jackman explained the company's strategy was for "outsized" M&A activity from 2017-2020, with plenty of flexibility for remaining opportunities.
Asked by one financial analyst why the company wouldn't resume share buybacks, given its strong performance and low leverage, Jackman replied that Waste Connections likes "the flexibility we have around deploying our capital for properly priced and strategically consistent M&A." Larger competitors Waste Management and Republic Services have been more active with buybacks in recent years, though the former has paused much of its activity pending the acquisition of Advanced Disposal Services.
Jackman said it's possible Waste Connections could spend anywhere from $0.5 to $1.5 billion on acquisitions in the next 12 months, while still having room to spend another $1 billion on buybacks. The pipeline includes tuck-ins in the $10-15 million revenue range, new market entries worth $30-40 million and possibly a couple larger options that fall well under $200 million. Leaving the door open, Jackman clarified none of this discussion includes potential opportunities that may still arise from federal divestment requirements in the Waste-Advanced deal.
Commodities Waste Connections reported $66.4 million in E&P revenue, its highest quarterly total in more than two years, even as rig count continues to decline. The company believes activity may have "peaked" in August and anticipates crude oil prices will remain steady for the near future. It also chose to abandon a landfill project in the Bakken formation for unspecified reasons, resulting in an $8 million impairment charge. Q3 recycling revenue, excluding acquisitions, was close to $13 million. This marked a 43% drop YoY and a 15% decline since Q2, driven by low fiber prices and higher third-party processing costs. Executives pointed to new paper mill capacity coming online as a potential sign of price stability in the months ahead. Following a trend from Q2, Waste Connections also saw an approximately $7 million decline in revenue from landfill gas (down 40% YoY) due to very low RIN values. CFO Mary Anne Whitney estimated that recycling and RIN pricing could make for a $20-25 million headwind going into 2020. Looking ahead Waste Connections is projecting Q4 revenue of $1.335 to $1.445 billion and adjusted EBITDA of approximately $405 million. The company also reaffirmed its full-year free cash flow guidance for $915 million. In Q4, the company expects price growth for solid waste to stay around 5%, with volume down by 1-1.5%. C&D volumes were down during Q3 and visibility on future special waste projects is low. While stating that underlying MSW trends driven by consumer spending appear steady, Waste Connections said the company is cautious about predicting economic trends. "We're mindful of the protracted nature of the economic recovery, which has driven increasingly challenging year-over-year volume comparisons and therefore we believe it is prudent to remain guarded in our outlook for volume growth," said Jackman.


What strategies would prove most effective for Myanmar’s foreign telecom providers during the evolution and adoption of mobile financial services?
Licensed foreign telecom operators in Myanmar were required to also provide mobile financial services (MFS). Due to a lack of trust in the banking sector, the government believed the adoption of MFS would boost financial inclusion in the country by enabling seamless money transfers, bill payments, and more. As they entered the MFS market, foreign telecom operators Ooredoo and Telenor grappled with fundamental questions that would determine their launch and customer acquisition strategies. This case asks students to consider the best investment strategies for these two providers with a special focus on how to increase mobile wallet usage.
Case ID: 210501


Artificial Intelligence holds enormous potential to improve the world we live in. It also poses some of the toughest challenges society has ever faced. These challenges should be considered to affect the international community as a whole. In this context, investing in avenues for interdisciplinary dialogue on AI is crucial in ensuring that its development is in line with what we want.


NCASE Resource Library Reset Selections Topics Resource type Publisher Search Results Filter By
These evidence-based standards foster nutrition and physical activity outcomes for children in grades K-12 attending out-of-school time programs. Originally developed in 2011 and then adopted and disseminated by the National Afterschool Association, the standards were refreshed in 2018.
This issue brief explores best practices for afterschool staff supervision of youth to ensure safety. It outlines the legal definition of neglect. It includes strategies for risk management including facility inspection, proper equipment, activity planning, first aid, and emergency preparedness.


The Victorian City of London’s financial center expanded and renewed its building infrastructure virtually unimpeded by considerations of urban preservation, conservation, or public opinion. The next phase of massive rebuilding, during the long post-1945 boom, appeared likely to follow the same pattern. However, by the mid-1960s, the freedom of City office owner-occupiers and developers to do as they wished with their buildings had become substantially constrained by rising conservationist sentiment. This paper explores this process through the history of the design, building, and eventual aborted demolition of Gibson Hall, the Bishopsgate headquarters of National Provincial Bank for over a century. This paper charts the life of Gibson Hall, in particular its conception, design, and, ultimately, its attempted redevelopment. We also consider the long-term consequences of the rebalancing between economic and conservation objectives for the nature of British urban redevelopment and the adoption of a “throwaway” business headquarters style—to remove any risk of popular support for preservation.


Abstract
Factors determining individuality are still poorly understood. Rodents are excellent model organisms to study individuality, due to a rich behavioral repertoire and the availability of well-characterized isogenic populations. However, most current behavioral assays for rodents have short test duration in novel test environments and require human interference, which introduce coercion, thereby limiting the assessment of naturally occurring individuality. Thus, we developed an automated behavior system to longitudinally monitor conditioned fear for assessing PTSD-like behavior in individual mice. The system consists of a safe home compartment connected to a risk-prone test compartment (TC). Entry and exploration of the TC is solely based on deliberate choice determined by individual fear responsiveness and fear extinction. In this novel ethological assay, C57BL/6J mice show homogeneous responses after shock exposure (innate fear), but striking variation in long-lasting fear responses based on avoidance and risk assessment (learned fear), including automated stretch-attend posture quantification. TC entry (retention) latencies after foot shock differed >24 h and the re-explored TC area differed >50% among inbred mice. Next, we compared two closely related C57BL/6 substrains. Despite substantial individual differences, previously observed higher fear of C57BL/6N vs. C57BL/6J mice was reconfirmed, whereas fear extinction was fast and did not differ. The observed variation in fear expression in isogenic mice suggests individual differences in coping style with PTSD-like avoidance. Investigating the assumed epigenetic mechanisms, with reduced interpretational ambiguity and enhanced translational value in this assay, may help improve understanding of personality type-dependent susceptibility and resilience to neuropsychiatric disorders such as PTSD.
Keywords Animal model Behavioral phenotyping Fear conditioning Individuality Learning Memory Passive avoidance Post-traumatic stress disorder


Authors: Avishek Siris, Jianbo Jiao, Gary K.L. Tam, Xianghua Xie, Rynson W.H. Lau Description: Psychology studies and behavioural observation show that humans shift their attention from one location to another when viewing an image of a complex scene. This is due to the limited capacity of the human visual system in simultaneously processing multiple visual inputs. The sequential shifting of attention on objects in a non-task oriented viewing can be seen as a form of saliency ranking. Although there are methods proposed for predicting saliency rank, they are not able to model this human attention shift well, as they are primarily based on ranking saliency values from binary prediction. Following psychological studies, in this paper, we propose to predict the saliency rank by inferring human attention shift. Due to the lack of such data, we first construct a large-scale salient object ranking dataset. The saliency rank of objects is defined by the order that an observer attends to these objects based on attention shift. The final saliency rank is an average across the saliency ranks of multiple observers. We then propose a learning-based CNN to leverage both bottom-up and top-down attention mechanisms to predict the saliency rank. Experimental results show that the proposed network achieves state-of-the-art performances on salient object rank prediction. Code and dataset are available at https://github.com/SirisAvishek/Attention_Shift_Ranks


Google Search's core updates and your website
Several times a year, Google makes significant, broad changes to our search algorithms and systems. We refer to these as
core updates, and we give notice when they happen on our list of Google Search ranking updates. Core updates are designed to ensure that overall, we're delivering on our mission to present helpful and reliable results for searchers. This page explains more about how core updates work, and what you can do to assess and perhaps improve your content. How core updates work
There's nothing wrong with pages that may not be performing as well as they were before a core update. They haven't violated our spam policies, nor been subjected to a manual or algorithmic action, as can happen to pages that do violate those policies. In fact, there's nothing in a core update that targets specific pages or sites. Instead, the changes are about improving how our systems assess content overall. These changes may cause some pages that were previously under-rewarded to do better in search results.
One way to think of how a core update operates is to imagine you made a list of the top 100 movies in 2021. A few years later in 2024, you refresh the list. It's going to naturally change. Some new and wonderful movies that never existed before will now be candidates for inclusion. You might also reassess some films and realize they deserved a higher place on the list than they had before.
The list will change, and films previously higher on the list that move down aren't bad. There are simply more deserving films that are coming before them.
Assessing your own content
As explained, pages that experience a change after a core update don't have anything wrong to fix. That said, we understand that those who may not be performing as well after a core update change may still feel they need to do something.
We suggest focusing on ensuring you're offering the best content you can. That's what our algorithms seek to reward. To learn more about how to create content that's successful, see our help page on how to create helpful, reliable people-first content. It has questions that you can ask yourself when assessing your own content
Also consider an audit of the drops you may have experienced. What pages were most impacted and for what types of searches? Look closely at these to understand how these pages may perform against the self-assessment questions. For example, there may be other pages that are doing a better job of helping the searcher because they have first-hand knowledge on that topic. You might also have others you trust (that are unaffiliated with your site) provide an honest assessment.
How long does it take to recover from a core update?
Broad core updates tend to happen every few months. Content that was impacted in Search or Discover by one might not recover—assuming improvements have been made—until the next broad core update is released.
However, we're constantly making updates to our search algorithms, including smaller core updates. We don't announce all of these because they're generally not widely noticeable. Still, when released, they can cause content to recover if improvements warrant.
Do keep in mind that improvements made by site owners aren't a guarantee of recovery, nor do pages have any static or guaranteed position in our search results. If there's more deserving content, that will continue to rank well with our systems.


Translocation of Viable Gut Microbiota to Mesenteric Adipose Drives Formation of Creeping Fat in Humans
Ha CW, Martin A, Sepich-Poore GD, Shi B, Wang Y, Gouin K, Humphrey G, Sanders K, Ratnayake Y, Chan KS, Hendrick G, Rafael Caldera J, Arias C, Moskowitz JE, Ho Sui SJ, Yang S, Underhill D, Brady MJ, Knott S, Kaihara K, Steinbaugh MJ, Li H, McGovern DP, Knight R, Fleshner P, Devkota S
A mysterious feature of Crohn’s disease (CD) is the extra-intestinal manifestation of "creeping fat" (CrF), defined as expansion of mesenteric adipose tissue around the inflamed and fibrotic intestine. In the current study, we explored whether microbial translocation in human intestinal inflammation serves as a central cue for CrF development. We discovered a subset of mucosal-associated gut bacteria that consistently translocated and remained viable in CrF in CD ileal surgical resections. We identified Clostridium innocuum as a signature of this consortium with strain variation between the mucosa and adipose. Single-cell RNA sequencing characterized CrF as both pro-fibrotic and pro-adipogenic with a rich milieu of activated immune cells responding to microbial stimuli, which we confirm in gnotobiotic mice colonized with C. innocuum. Ex vivo validation of expression patterns suggests C. innocuum stimulates tissue remodeling via M2 macrophages leading to an adipose tissue barrier that prevents further dissemination of bacteria.
GEO: GSE156776


The radiator is a major component of a vehicle’s cooling system. The coolant is pumped from the engine by the water pump into the radiator. It then circulates through the radiator, which causes heat to dissipate from the coolant before being pumped back into the engine. This process keeps your car, truck, or SUV from overheating.
If coolant is not moving effectively throughout your engine and radiator, and your vehicle is overheating, call our professional service advisor at Charlie's Hillside Auto Repair in Torrance to take a look at your radiator and other components of the cooling system.
If your radiator is leaking, or the coolant is not circulating through the radiator, there is potential for catastrophic engine failure, which can be costly. It is important to bring your vehicle to Charlie's Hillside Auto Repair at the first sign of problems.


Kloop Media – This statistical investigation was launched based on the idea that children from poorer families have fewer chances to enroll in a university. Analyzing various factors that influence performance in high school, Savia Hasanova and Arina Aparina have performed a multi-regression analysis to find the correlation between family status, poverty level of the region, and the result of the state exam. They have managed to prove with the data that access to tertiary education is unequal and children from poorer families are in a vulnerable position from the start.
At the end of their piece, the journalists looked for solutions such as offering free materials to help children from poorer regions prepare for examinations or advising parents to increase expenses on education for their children. They also note that more data is needed: there is no single complex assessment of schools in Kyrgyzstan.
The story was viewed more than 6,000 times on Kloop’s website with 109 likes and 53 shares, leading to a discussion among readers, who debated the issue and shared personal stories demonstrating that exceptions exist.


Transformer-based pretrained language models (LMs) are ubiquitous across natural language understanding, but cannot be applied to long sequences such as stories, scientific articles and long documents, due to their quadratic complexity. While a myriad of efficient transformer variants have been proposed, they are typically based on custom implementations that require expensive pretraining from scratch. In this work, we propose
SLED: SLiding- Encoder and Decoder, a simple approach for processing long sequences that re-uses and leverages battle-tested short-text pretrained LMs. Specifically, we partition the input into overlapping chunks, encode each with a short-text LM encoder and use the pretrained decoder to fuse information across chunks ( fusion-in-decoder). We illustrate through controlled experiments that SLED offers a viable strategy for long text understanding and evaluate our approach on SCROLLS, a benchmark with seven datasets across a wide range of language understanding tasks. We find that SLED is competitive with specialized models that are up to 50x larger and require a dedicated and expensive pretraining step.


Issuing a press release, WHO clarified that it has not issued any such statements and the attribution is false. “Such misinformation can lead to grave consequences for the public”, reads the press release.
Data on the efficacy of ‘mix and match’ of vaccine remains limited. While studies are ongoing regarding the interchangeability between vaccines and more evidence is needed regarding interchangeability of second dose of AstraZeneca with Vero Cell vaccines before conclusions can be made, stated the release.
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Background: Early discharge from psychiatric inpatient care may pose challenges for the patient's recovery and may incite a rapid return to the hospital. This study identified demographic, clinical, and the continuing of care characteristics associated with rapid readmission into a sample of psychiatric inpatient hospitals. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 60,254 discharges from state psychiatric hospitals. Logistic regression explored the relationship between predictors of rapid readmission. Results: Eight percent of discharges were readmitted to the same hospital within 30 days after discharge. Factors significantly related with rapid readmission included white (odds ratio, 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.13–1.34), non-Hispanic (1.48, 1.26–1.73), not married (1.53, 1.32–1.76), voluntarily admitted (1.18, 1.05–1.33), with length of stay (LOS) ≤ 7 days (3.52, 3.04–4.08), or LOS 8–31 days (3.20, 2.79–3.66), or LOS 32–92 days (1.91, 1.65–2.22), with a schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders (1.69, 1.46–1.96) or personality disorder (1.76, 1.50–2.06), referred to a setting different from the outpatient (1.27, 1.16–1.40), or with a living arrangement different from private residence (1.54, 1.40–1.68). Conclusions: Disparities in rapid readmission rates exist among state psychiatric hospitals. A national overview of the individuals with mental illness at risk of being prematurely discharged may suggests insights into quality initiatives aimed at reducing rapid readmissions into psychiatric inpatient care.


By Favour Nnabugwu
Reinsurance market in the sub-Saharan Africa’s has been spurred for over a decade by steady growth in gross domestic product, and international investment, according to a new report from AM Best.
The Best’s Market Segment Report, “Sub-Saharan Africa Reinsurance: Fresh Challenges for Reinsurers as Performance Improves,” notes that while a focus on local African risks has underpinned profitable underwriting results, there is a degree of concentration toward some of the largest markets on the continent.
Barriers to entry remain high in many African reinsurance markets and include protectionist local regulations and the presence of state-owned reinsurance companies or specialised state-sponsored pools.
The limited competition from global reinsurers is due to a multitude of factors, including the expansive geography of the continent, the small size of national reinsurance markets and the significant cultural and fiscal policy differences between countries.
For additional reports, including AM Best’s annual ranking of the Top 50 global reinsurance groups and in-depth looks at the insurance-linked securities, Lloyd’s, life reinsurance and regional reinsurance markets, please visit Best’s Research.
AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry.
Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City.


Introduction to GBA Plus Summary: GBA Plus as a competency
Developing competencies in GBA Plus will allow you to explore how an issue is affected by various intersecting factors. This includes examining sex-disaggregated data and research, considering social, economic and cultural conditions and norms, and consultations with affected populations.
GBA Plus is a valuable process and tool for systematically considering an array of factors in the development of policies, programs and initiatives. It can be used across many sectors and functions.
Although infrequent, it may happen that you can conclude from the GBA Plus that an initiative will not have any negative impacts on different groups of people. Provided you document the GBA Plus process and qualify your options, your approach is still gender- and diversity-sensitive.
Conversely, applying the GBA Plus process to an initiative that does not initially seem gendered may reveal significant gender and/or diversity issues.
Remember that it is crucial to check your assumptions and biases about an issue and its possible effects on different individuals. Given that your assumptions and biases might inadvertently influence the options you consider, it is important to be aware of them. Ultimately, you will want to recommend to decision-makers the option that most effectively reduces negative impacts and provides the greatest benefit to all.


The pandemic kicked off a severe labor shortage. What can small-business owners do if they are struggling to meet staffing needs?
Explore some key retirement plan contribution limits and various tax deduction, exclusion, exemption, and threshold amounts for 2022.
This article provides an overview of provisions that could affect consumers and businesses, including clean energy tax credits, Medicare changes, and new corporate taxes.
Dividend investing can be a dependable source of income for retirees and others. This article provides an overview.


Military shelters protect troops, armaments, equipment, and cargo from changing climates. These structures enable rapid deployment at any location and can be modified according to mission requirements.
Finding suppliers of military shelters
Army Technology has listed established manufacturers of military shelters based on its intel, insights and decades of experience in the defence sector. The directory includes suppliers of shelter products and solutions, including collapsible and prefabricated shelters, mobile tactical shelters, flexible tents, fabric structures and container-based camp shelters.
The download document is useful for strategists, procurement heads, engineers, fabricators, construction managers and engineering supervisors, and other individuals involved in acquiring, operating and maintaining military shelter systems.
The document includes detailed information on the manufacturers and suppliers and their products, along with contact details, to inform your purchasing decision.
Military shelters for land forces
Military shelter systems and solutions designed for use by armed forces include:
Lightweight, rapidly deployable shelters, shipping containers, pallets, and sustainment solutions Modular flat-pack buildings, mobile shelters, and turnkey military camps Field units, shelters, accommodation, firing ranges and storage facilities Refrigerated ISO-certified containers and dual reefer containers Inflatable tents, shelters, and clear-span structures High-pressure inflatable tents and expandable containers for defence applications High-quality fabric structures for military organisations Mobile military shelters The need for mobile military shelters
As theatres of operations vary based on mission needs, armed forces require portable shelters and temporary structures that can be quickly installed and relocated.
Highly mobile and rapidly deployable military structures and shelters, ballistic and blast-resistant shelters, field units and lightweight carbon shelters help meet defence forces’ changing mission requirements.
Mobile shelters also support multiple configurations and deployments, as well as long-term fixed base operations while ensuring low installation, repair and maintenance costs.


This practice is unjust and inhumane but unfortunately, it may be legal. Additionally, there is no scientific basis for withholding hepatitis C treatment from people who use any kind of drugs. For instance, a recent study published in the Lancet found that people with recent drug use (including those who inject) had high response rates to current hepatitis C treatments. Experts who developed the HCV Guidelines state that active or recent drug use is not a contraindication to HCV treatment.
Some insurance plans in some states are better than others. You always have the right to appeal. If you live in a state that has legalized medical use of marijuana and you can provide a prescription, you can appeal on these grounds.
If your insurance company still denies treatment, contact the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable and report this. Additionally, call Help4Hep and ask them for assistance: 877 Help4Hep (877-435-7443). You may also get some tips and support at Hep’s Forums.


The right not to incriminate yourself is a fundamental principle in the Bill of Rights. While it is possible to incriminate yourself in a variety of ways, making statements to police officers or detectives may be disastrous. Remaining silent keeps you from saying something problematic.
Before officers conduct a custodial interrogation, they likely must inform you of your Miranda rights. While your right to remain silent is part of the Miranda advisement, invoking this right can be difficult. After all, officers know how to get criminal suspects and others to talk.
Practice makes perfect
If you expect officers may question you in connection with a criminal investigation, you should know they do not always have to play by fair rules. Mentally rehearsing your arrest and interrogation, including how you intend to invoke your right to remain silent, may boost your confidence and prevent you from saying something incriminating.
Words matter
Detectives may use technical loopholes to question you when you are remaining silent. Even if you sit quietly and say nothing, they may continue to interrogate you until you break down and incriminate yourself. Therefore, you must use concise language when informing officers of your decision.
Telling officers you are invoking your right to remain silent leaves little doubt about your intentions. Requesting a lawyer should also end the interrogation.
Silence is golden
After you invoke your right to remain silent or ask for an attorney, officers may not continue to question you. Nevertheless, they may use any voluntary statements you make against you. This may be true even if officers are not in the room, as detectives usually videotape suspects in interrogation rooms. Put simply, after invoking your right to remain silent, you must stop talking.
It is not hard to find prisoners who are doing time for crimes they confessed to but did not commit. Therefore, until you understand the legal consequences of your words and have competent legal counsel, you should consider firmly and unambiguously asserting your right to remain silent.


The 25th annual Maryland Environmental Legislative Summit unveiled the key priorities of the environmental community for the 2019 Session. Their legislative initiatives included: (1) passing the Maryland Clean Energy Jobs initiative, which among other things would increase the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS); (2) putting a healthy “green” constitutional amendment on the ballot; (3) enacting a state Styrofoam ban for food service products; and (4) ensuring adequate environmental funding in the State budget and enforcement (this would also include a significant local government reporting requirement).
The Summit was held on February 6, 2019, in the Miller Senate Office Building in Annapolis. Numerous state legislators and environmental officials attended the event along with several hundred members of the environmental community.
Acting Secretary of Natural Resources Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio made opening comments. Secretary of the Environment Ben Grumbles was also in attendance.
In addition to presentations on each of the environmental initiatives, several legislative leaders spoke:
Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs (EHE) Committee Chair Paul Pinsky stated that “[we] have made progress but still have a long way to go” to achieve the goals of the environmental community. Pinsky stated that the EHE Committee will focus on climate change and the protection of the Chesapeake Bay. He opined that the state is done with the “low hanging fruit” for climate change and that Maryland needs to consider carbon pricing, reducing automobiles, and expanding mass transit.
Pinsky expressed support for the RPS/Clean Energy Jobs Initiative, a statewide plan for the siting of solar facilities, Forest Conservation Act legislation, and the foam ban. Pinsky also stressed the importance of “bringing back the oyster” to the Chesapeake Bay. Noting his support for legislation establishing oyster sanctuaries, he stated, “We cannot allow people to dredge every last damn oyster in the Bay. We can’t allow it.”
House Environment and Transportation (E&T) Committee Chair Kumar Barve was hopeful of the passage of the Styrofoam ban. He called for a long term strategy to address China’s recent refusal to accept plastic and paper for recycling processing, noting that now some of this material is landfilled or incinerated. On transportation, Barve stressed that the E&T Committee will look at investing in new transportation technologies, including monorails and autonomous vehicles. Barve also called for increased solar siting in open areas, citing that it was far cheaper than installing rooftop solar. Barve noted, “Properly sited solar energy in fields can be cheaper than natural gas.”
House Speaker Michael Busch was unable to attend due to traffic delays, but his Chief of Staff Alexandra Hughes made several brief comments. Hughes offered several criticisms of the environmental record of Maryland Governor Larry Hogan but also noted that there could be some collective bi-partisan work on the Chesapeake Bay. Hughes noted that the top environmental priority for Busch was the passage of the oyster sanctuary legislation. Hughes also stated that the RPS/Clean Energy Jobs Initiative would pass sometime during this 4-year term.
Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller was unable to attend this year but sent his regards.